April 2, 2010

From “Across Worlds Book IV: Sands of Taas” by Altos Wexan

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The crowd below began to cheer loudly even before Steyr stepped onto the podium; cries of joy and praise filtered up from below, bringing a smile to the young Prime Minister’s face.

“Citizens!” she cried, her voice echoing from speakers up and down the plaza. Steyr had to wait a moment as the cheers died down before she spoke again. “We stand at the threshold of the greatest event in the history of our fair nation! The dream of my mother, her mother, and all the Prime Ministers back to the foundation will now at last come to fruition! We have fought, we have suffered, and we have triumphed over all who would oppose us!”

“Victory!” came the cry from below.

“All resistance has been crushed. All are now included in our glorious vision. Only the final step remains: we shall once again go forth, and attain what eluded even the Founding Ministers themselves: a victory so absolute that a thousand years will not dull its memory!”

 

March 14, 2010

From “Across Worlds Book V: Xencobourg’s Fury” by Altos Wexan

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“We have been content to watch from afar, to feed. Still, we always expected that someone would arrive,” said one of the Children.

“Just as the ruins of the old world gave birth to us, so too did we beget suffering and chaos unprecedented even in the time of its destruction,” said another, who might once have been a woman. “That was our ultimate revenge.”

“But we knew it could not last, just as the strife that burned for generations before our coming. Now that the wall has been breached, the time has come for the children of the old world to begin the next phase.”

“We have seen the suffering we have wrought echo across a hundred generations, but no more. As in all matters of revenge, we must now move on to death.” The Child who had spoken smiled, the eerie green light of the glass reflected in its eyes. “The Children of Xencobourg will sear our enemies to dust.”

 

February 26, 2010

From “Noir Rapids” by Altos Wexan

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“Look here, Graham. You know as well as I do that the city’s budget is in freefall. People in breadlines don’t buy furniture. Factories that don’t sell furniture don’t pay taxes. No taxes, no Ryerson Library.”

“I’ve heard about budget problems for eight years, Mike,” said Graham. “When the Dow was at three hundred plus we were talking about budget cuts. The library’s always been just above the dog pound in terms of importance in the budget.”

“This time it’s not just because the city council wants to renovate the baseball stadium. Look, Graham, I’m not going to fire you. But there’s no money to pay you this month. My advice is to go home and take it easy—if you stay here, you’re working for free.”

Graham stormed to the door. “That’s not the kind of thing you tell a friend, Mike,” he growled. “Especially not one you’ve worked with for eight years.”

Mike sighed. “Out of my hands. Look on the bright side: now you’ve got all the time you could ever want to chase that damn book down without any distractions.”

 

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